The SLS may never fly in reality, but NASA has created a spiffy computer generated animation:
[youtube HOZ00J-0jhY]
There is at least one major continuity error. Can you spot it?
Sep 132014
Sep 082014
A 1970’s (and boy does it show) film by NASA that *briefly* depicts O’Neill cylinder colonies, but mostly deals with the Stanford Torus:
[youtube EgrdAUFFMrA]
Sep 042014
Issues 09 and 10 of US Bomber Projects is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #09 includes:
- Boeing Model 464-33-0: A turboprop B-52 predecessor
- Consolidated Army Bombardment Flying Wing: A ground attacker with an extreme mode of attack
- GE Supersonic System 6X: A Mach 3 nuclear-powered bomber
- Convair B/J-58: A supercuising version of the Hustler
- Boeing model 484-2-2: AB-58 competitor
- Northrop 464L: A blended wing/body spaceplane
- Martin Model 223-9: a 1944 step on the road to the XB-48
- Boeing Model 800-15A: A Mach 3.5 hydrogen fueled design of incredible range
USBP#09 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4:
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Issue #10 includes:
- Boeing Model 464-34-3: A turboprop B-52 predecessor
- Martin Model 192-5: A medium-sized flying wing
- Republic Mach 7: a relatively small high-speed design
- Convair WS-125A: A large nuclear powered supersonic design
- Boeing model 484-415: A jet-powered supersonic flying boat
- Boeing 464L: Boeings first Dyna Soar
- Martin Model 223-10: a 1944 step on the road to the XB-48
- Lockheed CL-1301-1: A very small VTOL ground attacker
USBP#10 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4:
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Sep 032014
US Bomber Projects issues 09 and 10 are now done, and will be available for sale just as soon as I get all the requisite website blahblah worked out. Hopefully tonight. I have issues 11 and 12 planned out, though still quite a bit of drafting to do.
The USBP series has been modestly successful (not blisteringly so, but ok, I guess…). I’m pondering doing the same format but with something other than bombers. Other concepts include:
- US Fighter Projects
- US Transport Projects (jetliners, cargo, civvies, SSTs, HSTs, etc.)
- US Recon & Experimental Projects
- US Launch Vehicle Projects
- US Spacecraft Projects (spaceplanes, moon landers, Mars ships, etc.)
- US Helicopter Projects
So, a few questions for commentors:
1) What did I leave out?
2) What would you most like to see? Some of these have a much bigger database to work from than others, of course.
Sep 012014
A piece of NASA art (a photo from eBay, with an attempt at correcting parallax error), likely from 1962-63, depicting current and forthcoming space launch vehicles. Of note, rather obviously, is the “Nova” launcher at far right. But also noteworthy are the “Thor Agena B” and the “Atlas Agena B,” both of which are depicted with the Agena upper stage & payloads blacked out. This could be due to security concerns over the Agena configuration… or perhaps the Agena was not yet well defined, and by blacking them out, the artist would not have to depict them (and yet they could be given an air of mystery). It would not surprise me if there is another version of this artwork with the Agenas shown clearly.
Sep 012014
A Bell Helicopter title block from a layout diagram of a tiltrotor aircraft meant to transport business executives and the like:
Aug 292014
An RCA concept from some time in the 1960’s for an astronaut maneuvering unit that was to use voice controls. This would negate the need for hand controls, but it seems unlikely that 1960’s technology was quite up to the task. Image from HERE. Note that while the backpack is depicted in some detail, the Apollo spacecraft in the background is quite inaccurate and minimally detailed.
Aug 282014
In the innumerable CAD diagrams I’ve created and will – presumably – continue to create, I often include a simple human figure to provide a sense of scale. But the same figure, repeated over and over… well, that’s kinda boring. So, who has alternates? I’m looking for simple line drawings (DWG or DXF or some other vector format would be easiest, but GIF/JOG/whatever would be fine too) of human figures that would look good standing next to aircraft, spacecraft, launch vehicles, ordnance, etc. Please feel free to post pics and links on the comments.
Aug 282014
I’ve posted another “PDF Review” over at the APR blog, this time on a 1967 Convair publication on the Atlas family of launch vehicles. This document was originally found on NTRS… but it doesn’t seem to exist there anymore. I’m guessing it was a victim of the March, 2013, lobotomy that NTRS underwent.
PDF Review: “Advanced Atlas Launch Vehicle Digest”
I have the full PDF file available for download over yonder. If this proves of interest and/or value, please consider participating in my Patreon campaign.
“Only people who hate cats refuse to donate to the APR Patreon. You don’t hate cats… do you?”
Aug 252014
As the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970’s ground down the American economy and jacked up the cost of transportation, many studies were made of alternative propulsion systems. For cars and buses and the like, electrical systems were at least theoretically feasible, though even today fully electric ground transport remains problematic. But electric aircraft were out of the question. Similarly, jetliners could not be retrofitted to burn coal or wood, or run off solar power. So that limited the options. One available option was liquid hydrogen. Long since proven on rockets, liquid hydrogen had been used to power jet engines in an experimental capacity. In theory it makes great jet fuel… lots of energy, and produced with no need of oil whatsoever (a nuclear reactor and an electrolysis system can do it, though there are more efficient means). But there were two major down sides: it’s a serious cryogen, requiring vacuum dewars for storage, and the density is pathetically low. Thus a jetliner would need fairly gigantic fuel tanks.
Lockheed of course studied the idea, using their last commercial airliner, the L-1011, as the basis. One concept called for giant fuel tanks to be carried on the wings, making the plane look almost like three aircraft flying in close formation; another idea was to stretch the fuselage and insert propellant tanks in front of and behind the passenger compartment. This would of course separate the passengers from the pilots. Also studied was the same idea but for an L-1011 freighter, artwork for which is shown below.
The idea would have almost certainly worked. But it would have been a logistical headache of the worst kind. None of the existing airport refueling infrastructure would have been usable, and the crews would have to be especially trained. Jet fuel can be stored in simple tanks; liquid hydrogen needs much more careful management to minimize boiloff.
